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Continued from page 4

14) Gloria Estefan and Andy Garcia

Cuban-born, Miami-raised singer Gloria Estefan made her mark with hits such as "Conga" and "Cuts Both Ways". In March 2010, she led thousands of marchers through the streets of Little Havana in Miami to protest the Cuban government's policy of constant harassment and physical assault on the "Ladies in White" —mothers and wives of jailed dissidents and independent journalists who peacefully protest every Sunday. The following month, Estefan personally presented President Obama with letters from Cuban dissidents smuggled out of Havana. Estefan called the Castro regime an “oppressive government” and described Cuba as “the country where I was born, a place where hope and freedom only live in history, not in the present.

Andy Garcia has spent decades working for the cause of human rights in Cuba both visibly and behind the scenes. He argues that "it is a human cause, not a Cuban cause," and has marched, written articles, produced and directed films, financed medical shipments, and inspired the Cuban dissident community to the point that he is likely the most popular celebrity in Cuba's freedom community. The actor was born in Cuba and was forced to flee at a very early age. His film The Lost City details the preventable rise of Cuba's current dictatorship.

15) Damien Rice

Soulful Irish folk musician Damien Rice uses his singing abilities for more than making top hits like “Cannonball.” He has worked with Burma Campaign UK and U.S. to free Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He wrote and performed the song “Unplayed Piano” to campaign for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release at the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, and also contributed the song “Making Noise” for the album Songs of Tibet, an initiative to support Tibet and the Dalai Lama. He also contributed the song “Lonely Soldier” to the Enough Project’s RAISE Hope For Congo, which supports women's rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

16) Richard Gere and Annie Lennox

Richard Gere is a practicing Buddhist and good friends with the Dalai Lama, but few know he is also a strong proponent of the Tibetan Independence Movement. Because of his outspoken campaigns, Gere is permanently prohibited from entering China. He founded The Gere Foundation, an organization that awards grants to groups that are dedicated to the cultural preservation of Tibet and the Tibetan people.

Scottish musician Annie Lennox has been a leader in Tibetan activism. Lennox made a short film about Palden Gyatso, a Buddhist monk who was abused in Chinese prisons and labor camps for 33 years. The film, “Tibet in Song,” documents Tibetan music and dance and shows how the Chinese occupation suppresses these cultural traditions. Lennox also supports the film’s producer, Ngawang Choephel, a Tibetan ethnomusicologist and filmmaker, who is currently in prison for unsubstantiated charges of “counter-revolutionary activities.”

And, the Nominees for Greatest Human Rights Disappointment:

1) Hilary Swank, Jean-Claude Van Damme,Vanessa Mae, and Seal

Chechnya’s president Ramzan Kadyrov employs rape, torture, disappearances, and murder to control power as head of Russia’s puppet government. Celebrities Hilary Swank, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Vanessa Mae, and Seal flew to Gronzy to attend Kadyrov’s 35th birthday party, ignoring alerts from human rights organizations about the Chechen regime’s litany of abuses (while other invitees like Eva Mendes, Shakira, and Kevin Costner declined). While the attendance fees are undisclosed, these celebrities received six-figure paychecks for attending the bizarre soiree. Swank has since apologized and told the Hollywood Reporter that she would be donating the money “to various charitable organizations” (last week she was asked to prove the donations were made--Swank declined). Seal, on the other hand, is less contrite, and tweeted to his followers “By going there, I played MUSIC for the Chechenyan [sic] people. I'm a MUSICIAN and would appreciate if you leave me out of your politics.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t the Chechen people who benefited from his performance, but only Seal and the dictator responsible for oppressing innocent Chechens.

2) Beyoncé Knowles, Nelly Furtado, 50 Cent, Usher, and Mariah Carey

At a private New Year’s Eve party for the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s son, 50 Cent, Nelly Furtado, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and Usher performed for fees of up to one million dollars each. The stars quickly claimed they were not aware that the party, which took place in St. Barth's, was for Gaddafi. They have all since apologized and claim to have donated the money “to various human rights organizations.”